There are numerous supension type drinkers in the prior art, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,283,746. While such suspension type drinkers have wide utility, should they be adjusted so that the drinker inadvertently touches the ground, the spring-operated valve mechanism will cease to function properly, and the drinker will overflow. This situation has been avoided in the structure shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,495; however, that structure also has disadvantages in that it utilizes a spring-balance type of water valve which consists of many small precision threaded components, and utilizes a separate ballast container that must be filled and separately attached to the device before the device is useful to accomplish its intended function. There have also been proposals for float actuated drinkers, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,610,206 and 1,961,102, and while these drinkers also have good utility, they are either adapted to only remain on the ground or there may be excessive swinging thereof when suspended due to insufficient ballast.
According to the present invention, a poultry drinker is provided that may be either suspended or supported on the floor, contains sufficient ballast to minimize swinging when suspended or lateral displacement when resting on the floor, and which does not need any precision threaded components, nor require the filling of a ballast container that is distinct from the other components of the assembly and requiring separate attachment thereof to the other components. The drinker, according to the invention, includes a base member having an annular drinking trough around the periphery thereof, the base member comprising means for providing ballast to minimize movement of the drinker, and the ballast providing means defining a water reservoir. Since the water in the reservoir is constantly changing it never becomes stale. The base member further comprises means defining a float chamber, the float chamber being concentric with the annular trough, and the reservoir generally concentric with the float chamber and the trough. A valve is connected up to a source of water, and means are provided for supporting the valve so that the valve is in water communication with the reservoir. A float with a float rod operatively connected thereto is disposed in the float chamber, the rod extending upwardly from the chamber toward the valve, and there are means for providing communication between the top portion of the reservoir and the float chamber so that after water from the valve reaches a predetermined level in the reservoir, it will overflow into the float chamber, and means for providing water communication between the float chamber and the trough so that the water level in the float chamber is directly proportional to the water level in the trough. Preferably, the valve supporting means comprises means for supporting the valve above the reservoir, including a generally bell-shaped shell member, means for readily detachably connecting the shell member to the base member, and means for adjustably supporting the valve with respect to the shell member, the reservoir having an open top in communication with the valve. Connection between the shell member and the base may be provided by a plurality of simple key members, and the float may be releasably attached to the float rod with a simple clip.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a versatile, inexpensive, easy to manufacture and simple poultry drinker. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.